STARTUP HIGHLIGHTS - PART I (December 2017)As we look back on 2017, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight our vibrant startup community in my articles for December and January. It has been an impressive year seeing more than 85 new startups move through through Planet Hatch’s partnered incubation and acceleration programs, and benefit from the 75+ programs/events, which run through our entrepreneurial hub. Between Planet Hatch and Ignite Fredericton alone - we helped 34 businesses get started this year!

For the benefit of all the readers I would like to first explain the term ‘startup’, as some perceive this to be business jargon related only to the IT industry. A startup can be in ANY sector or industry!

‘Startup 101’: According to Wikipedia, a startup is defined as “an entrepreneurial venture which is typically a newly emerged, fast-grow...

2017 was a year of great accomplishment for the Fredericton business community. Between Planet Hatch and Ignite Fredericton alone, we saw thirty new businesses get started in the Greater Fredericton Region! In our December and January Gleaner column series titled Startup 2017 Highlights, we showcased Fredericton's vibrant startup community, highlighting some of the local talent that resides in our very own backyard and the players that make it all possible. We also touched on a variety of incubation and acceleration programs running through the City's entrepreneurial hub, Planet Hatch, in which there were 85 new startups and six new exporters!

With the constant commotion of startups bustlin' about, Planet Hatch is known to see a lot of activity on a daily basis. Drones flying overhead and sticky note covered walls; the hatch is a busy beehive of entrepreneurial nectar constantly attracting top talent! Now, we all know that every beehive needs a queen bee to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that no bee gets left behind. Well, consider Vanessa that powerhouse bee and the new face of Planet Hatch! We sat down with Vanessa and asked her to introduce herself, officially, to the Fredericton community:

What’s your story?I was born the daughter of a farmer and Registered Nurse. Growing up on a farm in Hopewell, Nova Scotia, I spent most of my childhood building hay forts with my brother and sister, taking care of our varying collection of livestock, studying piano, violin and voice, or competing in 4-H competitions. I never saw the day I’d leave the farm, let alone...